Support us on Patreon! Love to Sew Podcast

Support us on Apple Podcasts! Love to Sew Podcast

Follow Helen! Blog: Helen’s  Closet Patterns, Cedar Quilt Co., Instagram: @helens__closet, @cedarquiltco

Follow Caroline! Shop: Blackbird Fabrics, Instagram: @blackbirdfabrics, @bfpatterns

Follow the Podcast! Instagram: @lovetosew.podcast, Facebook: /LovetoSewPod, Bluesky: @lovetosewpodcast.bsky.social, Pixelfed: @lovetosew.podcast

Leave us a voicemail with your questions, comments, and feedback: 1-844-SEW-WHAT (1-844-739-9428)

E-mail us: hello@lovetosewpodcast.com

Sign up for our newsletter to get weekly episode updates, special news, and even some exclusive content that you won’t find anywhere else.

Leave us a review! It will help other sewists discover us.

---

Transcript: 

Caroline: We are recording today on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw peoples, including Tsleil-Waututh, Squamish, Musqueam, and K’ómoks first nations.

Helen: ​Hello and welcome to Love To Sew. I’m Helen, the designer behind Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co.

Caroline: And I’m Caroline, the owner of Blackbird Fabrics and BF Patterns.

Helen: We’re two sewing buds who love to sew and it’s literally all we wanna talk about.

Caroline: We each chose a rising trend for fall/winter 2025 and sewed garments inspired by it. In this episode, we’re gonna reveal them to each other. And we’ll also talk about our pattern and fabric choices, the tips that helped us through the sewing process, and where we plan to wear our trendy outfits.

Helen: If you love to sew, this is your show.

Caroline: I love these episodes, Helen.

Helen: Me too. I am, like, vibrating with anticipation of seeing your trendy look that you made. I cannot wait. I’m so excited.

Caroline: Me too. I’m so excited. It’s the best. Okay. We’re, like, both just so pumped to get into it. But first we have a couple of things to say.

Helen: Yes. The first is that you can support us over on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. It is the best way to support Love to Sew. And by joining us over there, you get access to bonus content every month. We do, like, long form episodes where we just chat about our lives. And we have so much fun catching up on those episodes and sharing things we’re loving right now and talking about sewing and all that good stuff. So if you enjoy listening to us chat, that’s one place to get more of it.

Caroline: It really is. And it means so much if you’re able to support us, even if it’s just for a month or two. But if that’s not in the cards for you right now, we totally understand. We just are really grateful that you’re here listening and cheering us on, and hopefully also excited to see what trend we picked and what we made.

Helen: Yes, welcome. And we do have a listener question before we start the show, as well. Gen wrote, “I’d like to make a Rumi from KPop Demon Hunters costume for Halloween for my daughter. How can I hack a pattern for making a pointed shoulder on a jacket?” We’ve got a picture of Rumi here in our little show notes for this episode, and it’s kind of almost like a bolero jacket. It has, like, epaulettes on the shoulders. One of them’s more like a cap kind of shell shape, and one of them is that, like, pointed shoulder that Jen is describing. Caroline, have you seen KPop Demon Hunters?

Caroline: I haven’t, and I feel like I’m really out of the loop ’cause I know it’s having a real moment right now. This is very of the time.

Helen: It really is. The music is so good and I loved it. I watched it with my nieces and I thought it was fantastic. But I do enjoy an animated movie, so I had a great time. Would recommend watching it. But as far as making a costume, I think there’s gonna be a ton of costumes from KPop Demon Hunters this year. So it’s gonna be really fun to see. I do think these shoulder armor pieces are called pauldrons, and there are cosplay tutorials and even patterns for making your own out of foam. So we’ll link up a couple of those in the show notes.

Caroline: Yeah, and Gen did specify that she wanted to know about, specifically, the pointy shoulder, the one where the fabric comes to, like, a soft point. It’s very 2010 Lady Gaga. And we found a great post by The Shapes of Fabric that shows you how to alter a bodice and sleeve pattern to make a bunch of different pointy shoulders. So we’ll link that up for you. Even if you’re not into pointed shoulders, it’s super cool to see how these are done. It’s very sculptural. With that in mind, I would recommend using heavy interfacing on the upper sleeve and possibly on the edge of the bodice armscye so that your statement shoulder holds its shape.

Helen: Yeah, and another option would be to choose a jacket pattern with puffs at the top of the sleeves. It will give a similar vibe to the jacket in the movie, but you won’t need to do any special drafting. And all you really need for a successful costume is a similar vibe, right? You don’t need it to be exact. You just want people to look at it and be like, oh, KPop Demon Hunters. So no one’s going around with a picture of Rumi and judging people’s costumes against the photo.

Caroline: Yeah. Honestly, I feel like you could just do like a bolero and then some sort of, like, foam or…I don’t know…

Helen: Spray painted gold foam thing. Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah, that you’re just, like, kind of attaching or gluing on the shoulder. I don’t think that piece necessarily has to be sewn. But this is a really cool costume.

Helen: That’s true. I wonder if you could go to the dollar store and find some, like, armor pieces for a different, like a knight’s costume or something like that and use those. Maybe change the colour with spray paint and put those on. If you have the purple braid, you’ve got Rumi. I mean, let’s be real.

Caroline: Yeah, yeah. I think this would be a really cute costume. Gen, if you end up making it, please do, send us a pic.

Helen: Yes! My little soda pop. Okay, now let’s move on to the main part of the show. This episode is a mashup of two of our favourite episode formats. We’ve got our “We Sew” episodes and our “Reacting to Trends” episodes that we do from time to time. So we each chose a rising trend for this season that we’re really excited about. And the article we used is called “12 Autumn/Winter 2025 Fashion Trends That Will Dominate the Season.”

Caroline: This article is by Maxine Eggenberger for Who What Wear. We’re gonna link it in the show notes so that you can take a look and peruse all the different trends. We actually secretly designed and sewed a garment inspired by our chosen trend and we’re about to reveal them to each other for the first time. Helen, I don’t even know what trend you did. I did kind of spoil what trend I’m gonna do. So I think you have an idea of what trend I’m doing. But I have no idea what you picked. Not even a clue.

Helen: Okay, Caroline, you go first. Let’s first tell our listeners which trends we did and then we can reveal our outfits to each other.

Caroline: Okay, so I chose “Back to Brown.” I’m gonna read a snippet from the article, so: “If you’re craving colour this winter, but find black a little too heavy and camel a little too safe, then brown is your answer.” The photos are of head-to-toe looks in dark, rich brown, so think espresso and chocolate. I do think it’s funny that this article says “if you’re craving colour” and then it refers to black and camel as colours. Because I feel like if I was like, “I’m really craving colour,” I’d be like, “I want, like, a punchy red or yellow or, like, a bright,” you know? To me, brown is almost a neutral at this point. But anyways, I’m gonna stop talking. I need to send you my video.

Helen: Ahh! Okay. I’m so excited.

Caroline: Hold on. Hold on.

Helen: I have been seeing a lot of brown around and I know you’ve always been a big fan of brown, Caroline, so I’m not surprised at all that you picked this trend. I think it’s perfect for you. And you’ve been carrying a lot of really nice brown stuff at Blackbird, so I’m sure you have lots of good fabrics to choose from. Ahh! Oh my gosh, you did head to toe? Oh, it’s so cute. Ooh, is that the cotton lawn? I love that fabric.

Caroline: This is the Washed Cotton Poplin.

Helen: Poplin, yes. Oh my gosh.

Caroline: And then I did a Handwoven Cotton for the top.

Helen: Oh, I love it.

Caroline: So…

Helen: This is so you. And, like, really cute.

Caroline: I also included some, like, other styling in this video, I kind of edited together a quick video for you so you could see how I would wear these. But…

Helen: A bag?

Caroline: I’m gonna describe it to our listeners. This bag isn’t new. Wait, I’m gonna describe it. So I made the Henrietta Skirt by Spaghetti Western Sewing. It’s a voluminous midi, like, maxi-length skirt with an elastic waistband and these gathered side panels. I went with a longer length. And I chose this for the drama. I wanted something, like, very voluminous and dramatic. Then the second pattern, for my blouse, I did the Fleur Blouse by Fabric Godmother. So it has bows down the front, a gathered peplum, and puffy sleeves. This is one of those, like, Ganni dupe tops. There’s a bunch of patterns for this out there. I’m really happy to have finally tried out this style. I’m really happy with it. But yes, and I also, I styled the look with, like, brown ballet flats and I pulled my brown Mia Bag, as well, ’cause it matched and I thought that was, like, fun. And the trend talks about doing, like, head-to-toe all brown, like, to really get the look. But then I also included a couple clips of, like, other looks. So I paired the blouse with, like, a pair of a future pattern that we’re working on. It’s like an elastic waist little pant. And then I also am showing you the skirt with, like, a Carrie Crop Top in brown ’cause I already have brown in my wardrobe. Obviously, I love brown. So yeah. What do you think?

Helen: I love it. I love it so much. It’s very you. And I like that you did separates because you can mix and match, so that’s so smart. I also like that the browns are, like, different tones. Like, the bottom, the skirt, Henrietta Skirt’s more rich and then the top is, like, a little bit more of like an ashy brown, ’cause it’s got like a small check pattern, right? So it’s got, like, a bit of variation and they look really good together. And then the bag really does just, like, top it all off, like the cherry on top of the cake. It make, it takes it from, like, clothes to, like, a lewk, you know?

Caroline: Yeah. And I was really happy to already have a pair of brown ballet flats that I could wear with it. But no, I’m, I’m really happy with this look. Maybe we can get into it a little bit later, I will say, it was, like, quite a journey. I knew I wanted to make the skirt, but the top… I agonized over what to do with the top. I had so many different ideas and I was definitely, like, Overthinkers Anonymous over here, like, changing my mind 20 different times. I literally cut out a pattern and then I was like, “No, I’m not doing this. I changed my mind.” Yes, so I am happy with…

Helen: In the fabric or in a muslin?

Caroline: No, I cut out, like, the, I, like, printed the pattern and I cut out the paper pieces and then I pulled out the fabric and I was like, “This is not right. This is not going to give me the look.”

Helen: “This feels all wrong.”

Caroline: So I…

Helen: I think this top you made looks so cute with these pants. Like, with the cream pants.

Caroline: I know. I actually love this top. I love this pattern. Anyways, we’re gonna talk about it. But like I mentioned, fabric-wise, I used the Washed Cotton Poplin in Coffee Bean from Blackbird, and then the Mini Check Lightweight Handwoven Cotton in Cocoa. They’re both 100% cotton lightweight woven fabrics. They were perfect. I wanna know what you made and then we, we will get into the deets?

Helen: Yes. Okay, let’s do that. But before I show you mine, I want to tell you that, no joke, I almost made the Henrietta Skirt as well. I was gonna do a head-to-toe outfit and, spoiler, I only made the top half. But the bottom half was gonna be the Henrietta Skirt. Now I’m really wishing I had done it because that would’ve been so funny. Of all the patterns out there. Oh, I can’t.

Caroline: Okay. Wait, we, we didn’t even hear what your trend is. I wanna know what your trend is first.

Helen: So I chose “Bad Romance” and the article says, “Bad Romance toes the line between darkness and delicacy, offering looks that blend gothic styling with the sort of romantic visuals you usually only see in period dramas.” So think dramatic, romantic silhouettes, sheer black fabrics, and lots of beautiful details. So like I said, I wanted to make a whole outfit, but I didn’t get around to it.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Let’s be real. The top took longer than I thought. And I’m really happy with it. So I’m glad I took my time. But I didn’t get around to making the whole outfit. But I do think it’s a good mix-and-match piece. So I’m gonna send it to you now.

Caroline: Ahh! Oh my gosh. Oh! Okay. Helen, you never wear black. This is so crazy. Wait. It fits you so well.

Helen: Thank you.

Caroline: Oh! Look at the back. It’s so cute. Okay. Wait. Describe it. Describe it!

Helen: It is a tight-fitting woven top that I made out of an eyelet fabric, and I used kind of a skin tone match underlining, so it looks semi-sheer. I was going for that semi-sheer look with the Bad Romance. I was also really drawn to this idea of, like, darkness and delicacy and, like, the gothic romantic vibe It’s a little bit witchy.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: It’s, like, cropped and tight. It has almost like a corset/bustier feel to it and then it ties in the back. So that also kind of gives it a corset vibe. And this is the Rothwell Top by Stitch Witch Patterns. And yeah, I’m really happy with how it turned out. And I feel like, as a standalone top, it’s really nice ’cause I could mix and match it with lots of different bottoms and get different looks. But yeah, it’s a little bit sexy, it’s a little bit witchy. And I’m really loving it. I’ve been wearing it around my studio only. I haven’t found an excuse to wear it out yet, but I’ve been enjoying wearing it in house, so.

Caroline: It fits you like a glove. I am so impressed with the fit on this. I’m excited to hear about your journey in that area. But you, the eyelet that you chose is perfect. It’s that, like, grid eyelet. It’s super sexy. It’s super cute. I love the little open, like, keyhole in the back and I think it fits the trend so well. Also, you never wear black. It’s really weird to see you in black, so.

Helen: I don’t wear a ton of black. I really enjoy, like, rich colours and bright, fun things. So I have black in my wardrobe, but it’s definitely not, like, a everyday event for me. But when you released these eyelets in the spring, I was so drawn to these, like, more windowpane ones that you guys did that have these, like, square grid format to it. And the black one in particular, I was just like, “That is the most beautiful eyelet I’ve ever seen and I have to have it.” So I bought four meters of it…

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: Being like, “I’ll, I’ll figure it out. I’ll make something out of it eventually.” And then when I saw Bad Romance on this list, I was like, “Ooh, I have that eyelet. That would be perfect for this.” And so then I started thinking about, like, what would be a good pattern match? And I was gonna do the Henrietta Skirt in this fabric as well, but without any underlining. So it was, like, actually sheer. And then I could wear it with, like, black underwear and, like, have like a semi-sheer or like a slip if you wanted to be a little bit more conservative. But, like, you would have options there. And I thought that would be really cute. So imagine that happened.

Caroline: Okay. Can I just say, side note: pattern related. I almost made the Tulip Top, the Fortiv Tulip Top to go with my skirt.

Helen: Oh yeah, that was the other one I was thinking of.

Caroline: Which is, like, a similar corset-style top. Can you imagine if you had made the Henrietta Skirt and I had made the Tulip Top and we showed up with, like, matching, basically matching fits in different colours?

Helen: I would be shocked, but not, at the same time.

Caroline: Yeah. Um, no, I love it. It’s so good and I imagine it was a lot of work to get this to look as incredible as it looks.

Helen: I did go on a fitting journey, which we’ll talk about.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Yes, it was worth it, though.

Caroline: Oh, I love it. Do you have any, like, black pants to style it with or any black bottoms that you could…?

Helen: I do, yeah, I have a pair of black Falconer Pants. I’m wearing it with the red ones in this picture ’cause I thought that was also kind of sexy adjacent. And I also have a black rib knit skirt that’s very, like, feels formal but is actually super comfortable. It goes with everything. So I could see wearing it with that. But I almost feel like, if I wore it with black, like, a black skirt like that, it might take it to, like, a costumey place? Like, all I need is a witch’s hat and I’m, like, all set for Halloween.

Caroline: Halloween costume sorted.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So I kind of like it with a brighter bottom just to contrast it a little bit and take it, like, a step away from that sexy place by having the bottom be a little bit less in that arena. I dunno.

Caroline: Yeah, I will say, my look together, the two pieces together made me feel, like, kind of prairie. Like, it’s giving cottage-y, milkmaid, like, something, and it’s like, this could potentially be in costume territory. And maybe that’s a thing with, like, trying a new-to-you trend or trying to really lean into a trend is that it maybe doesn’t always feel 100% you, so you almost feel like you’re wearing a costume.

Helen: Yeah, exactly. That’s the best thing about making separates, though. ‘Cause then you can separate them and it feels a little bit less full-on when you’re wearing just half of it.

Caroline: Yes. Totally. Totally. Okay. I have lots of questions.

Helen: Yeah. Same.

Caroline: Okay. I can cover, like, fitting adjustments and stuff, or grading. ‘Cause for me it was really simple. This was a perfect project for me because I had no muslins. I didn’t make a muslin and I just went with it. I just, ’cause they were both kind of voluminous shapes, I felt confident that they would fit. So I just went for it for both of these patterns. Didn’t need to make any adjustments. I think the only thing I did was lengthen the Henrietta Skirt because I believe it’s drafted for like a 5’3” or 5’4” person. So I knew I would need to lengthen it to get, like, the really long shape that I wanted. But other than that, I didn’t have to make any alterations. I really liked that the Fleur Blouse had cup sizes, so I did the D-cup range and I felt really confident that it would fit well around the chest area. So no fitting adjustments on my end, which…

Helen: That’s amazing.

Caroline: Yeah. You must be jealous, Helen, because I think you’ve had a journey.

Helen: But, like, when we did our Vests episode, I had none and you had lots. So I mean, you can’t win ’em all, right?

Caroline: You really can’t win ‘em all.

Helen: Sometimes you end up having to do fitting adjustments. It’s just how it is.

Caroline: Yeah. Another thing I wanted to mention, just quickly, about the fabric that I picked for the Henrietta Skirt. I feel like this Washed Cotton Poplin is so perfect for this pattern because it holds volume really well, and it has this kind of, like, crinkly, papery look that just feels sort of dramatic. And you really do have to embrace the wrinkles. It’s just, like, part of the vibe. And I think this skirt, even in her product listing, I believe one of the fabrics used is, like, either our Washed Cotton Poplin or something really similar. It’s just, like, the look of the pattern and I love it. And I think also, higher fashion, there is a lot of that, like, structural, papery, crisp fabric that I’m seeing. So it made a lot of sense for me to use this fabric. And if you’re looking for that look, if anyone out there wants to make this pattern is looking for that look, the Washed Cotton Poplin is, like, perfect for it.

Helen: Yeah, I’m a huge fan of that fabric. I made a pair of June Pants out of it, the green cargo hack that I did, and I love those pants. They’re so cute, and it feels like I’m wearing, like, a track pant. Like, it feels almost like a ripstop nylon. It has that vibe. It’s, like, crispy and swishy, but it’s cotton and it’s wearing, like, I wear them all the time and the crotch is still, like, immaculate still. So I would definitely recommend this fabric.

Caroline: Okay. That’s so good to know. ‘Cause I was thinking about using, we have a new nylon that we, that came out recently and I was like, I really wanna make pants, but I feel like nylon pants are not gonna be comfortable.

Helen: I mean, this is, I made these pants out of cotton, not nylon, so I can’t really speak to that, but…

Caroline: That’s what I mean. It’s, like, a good alternative to a nylon. Um, and you get that same look, but anyways, we’re getting off topic. Sorry.

Helen: Big fan of that fabric, though. I have it in lots of colours. Yeah.

Caroline: Yeah. You want to talk about your fitting journey?

Helen: Yes. Sure. Okay. I did end up doing quite a bit of fitting on this pattern. I cut out my size based on the chart, and this pattern does have a really good size range and it has different cup sizes as well, which is really nice. I cut out my size based on the chart, but my first muslin was pretty off. Like, the arm opening was really small and the shoulders, like, wouldn’t come up over my shoulders. So I, like, almost couldn’t, like, fully put it on. So there was a lot to work on with this one. And I did end up making three muslins.

Caroline: Whoa.

Helen: Yeah, which felt, this is why I didn’t get around to the skirt. But luckily, it’s a small design, so it’s, like, literally a front and back pattern piece and then there’s ties, so it’s not too much of a fabric hog. And I could just keep reusing my little ties every time I made another one. And the front bodice was pretty good, but I redrafted the back using some of my other patterns to kind of guide me into…

Caroline: Oh, interesting. Okay.

Helen: What I knew was gonna work for me. It wasn’t immediately clear when I put it on, like, oh, I need a bust adjustment or I need a shoulder adjustment. It was just more like, I don’t think this back piece is, like, working for my body. So I basically took the design idea and I redrafted the back piece, which is doable ’cause I’m a pattern maker. So it’s like, I’m not a professional pattern drafter, but I do have experience in that arena. So I was able to make the back work. And then once I got the back working, the front was pretty good and I just needed to move the darts to make them point perfectly for my bust. And I also moved the shoulder in a bit ’cause I wanted it to feel a little bit more comfortable, like it wasn’t gonna fall off the edges of my shoulders; this top’s kind of designed to be a little bit wider. And so I moved them in. Um, and I’m really happy with that adjustment. It almost makes the neck more scoopy. And I think I got the bust fit really good. Like it has this, like, I’m not wearing a bra and it fits really well. It kinda, like, hugs the bust.

Caroline: Yeah, the bust fit is great. So it’s just darts at the bottom? Or where are the darts?

Helen: It’s got a dart that goes to the armscye and a dart that comes up from the hem.

Caroline: Okay, so two darts, not princess seams. Cool. No, you did get a really great fit in the end.

Helen: Yeah, it was worth it in the end. I’m really happy with how it fits. Like, I would make another top now in a heartbeat, now that I’ve got it down. So I think, like, it was definitely worth it. But yeah, I’ll try to get some videos of my muslins to show, like, my fitting process. ‘Cause I know that’s always really interesting for people to see and, like, let’s be real. Not every pattern is for everybody, and sometimes you get lucky and it fits you perfectly and sometimes you put it on and you’re like, “Oh, I don’t know if, like, my body is aligning with the block that they use to draft this pattern.” And that’s fine. But, like, I have to do a little bit more work to get there in the end. And it was worth it, in this case.

Caroline: Yeah. I also think, when you get into these types of patterns that are so fitted, it is even more difficult to make a pattern that is gonna suit a lot of different bodies. Like you, just, when you’re making something that’s, like, a corset/bustier style or, like, just like a really, really form-fitting woven pattern with darts or princess seams, I think you need to go into it with the expectation that there will be at least some fitting involved, because they have to pick some, like, a block, a body to base it off of, and it’s never gonna be able to work for everyone.

Helen: No, absolutely, and that’s why I, I knew going into it that I was gonna make a muslin, and then I was like, “Okay, I’m gonna do a second one.” And then I ended up doing a third one just to tweak a tiny little thing. But I was like, You know what? It’ll be worth it just to, like, let’s just figure out the fit before we go in with this, I was doing eyelet and underlining and all this stuff, and I didn’t wanna end up with something that I was disappointed in, so.

Caroline: Yeah. I really like the ties in the back, too, how that probably adds a little element of being able to, like, cinch and fit it for your body, have, like, a little bit of flexibility there if your body changes a little bit. And then you’re not having to do the, like, classic, like, grommets or something that you would have on, like, a corset style.

Helen: Yeah, totally. Yeah. That’s one of the selling features of the pattern is that it has no closures. And like you said, the ties make it so it’s adjustable, so you can have it be looser or tighter just by tying those ties tighter or looser. And then it also has these little points at the front that, like, it’s corset inspired, so it comes down to these two little points kind of right on either side of your tummy. And I think those are so cute. It’s one of my favourite design elements of the pattern. And you can optionally put a little bow at the bottom of the points.

Caroline: Oh, cute.

Helen: Which I’ve seen on, like, it’s included in the pattern and I’ve seen it on lots of people’s versions, but I kind of prefer it without the bows, so I didn’t add the bow on for my version. But I think it, it just takes it to this really fun, witchy place that I very much enjoy.

Caroline: Yeah, I was gonna say, that definitely takes it into witchy territory and I, I’m totally here for it.

Helen: Yeah. It is so cute. Yeah, and I, like I said, I underlined mine in, like, a cotton, just like a match to my skin tone. I just went to my local fabric store and got some quilting cotton in this, like, beige colour and then also in black. So I underlined the eyelet in the beige and then I lined the garment in black. So it’s got three layers of fabric, so it has that structure to it that makes it nice to wear without a bra, I find. So it’s always nice when you have a backless garment to not have to wear a bra.

Caroline: Very cool. It turned out so good.

Helen: Okay Caroline, do you have a best and worst part of sewing your garments for this episode?

Caroline: Okay. I did feel like it was a bit of an up and down journey for me ’cause, the skirt, I did the skirt first and everything came together really quickly. It’s an elastic waist skirt, you know, simple. Nothing crazy. It came together really fast and I had no issues. When it came to the top, I just think it was, like, one of those sewing days where, like, things just weren’t going my way. And it wasn’t even to do with the pattern. It was, like, my serger was not behaving. Like, it was like doing weird things. I had to rethread it like three times and then, like, change the needles, check everything, you know. And, like, finally I got my serger to work and then my sewing machine tension was off and I couldn’t figure out why. And then I had to, like, play with that. And it was because I had done some shirring and then I had to adjust the little screw in the bobbin case, which I know you’re not supposed to do, but you kind of have to do it when you’re doing shirring. And then when I tried to readjust it I, like, couldn’t get it back to the original setting. So…

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: That was really frustrating. And then I had to unpick serger, Helen.

Helen: Oh no.

Caroline: I had to unpick serger. And I even looked up a video ’cause I know that there’s, like, an easy way to do it where you’re just unpicking the two, like, straight stitch lines and then it’s supposed to just, like, pull apart. Didn’t work. It was not working for me. I was at work at one point trying to unpick ’cause I, like, brought it in. ‘Cause I was like, this is gonna take so long. And then one of my coworkers was like, “Oh, I know how to do the the trick thing. I’ll do it.” And then they came to try it and it, like, they were like, “What is wrong with this? Like, what is happening?” So I literally had to unpick serger in the most slow, annoying way possible. And I was, like, ready to just, like, throw it in the garbage and recut the piece. And I was like, no, Caroline, like, get it together. You can do this. So it was just, like, not a good serger moment for me with this top. I don’t know what’s going on with my serger, but that was really frustrating. But other than that, I would say, really smooth sewing process. And I think the best part would’ve been my first try-on of the top because I was kind of a sewing rebel and I didn’t do any try-ons in the sewing process. I literally tried it on for the first time when I sewed my last stitch. Isn’t that crazy?

Helen: Wow. I mean, yeah, a little bit.

Caroline: Yeah, I didn’t try it on at all. I was like, I’m not gonna try this on…

Helen: What if you wanna, like, what if you wanna hem it shorter or something?

Caroline: No, I just trusted. The only thing I did was I, like, I held the cuff, the sleeve cuff around my bicep to make sure that it wasn’t gonna be too tight. That’s the only thing I tried on. Barely. It was just, like, the strip of fabric to make sure it wasn’t too tight. I just trusted that it was gonna fit. It was, like, a loose fit, and I was like, I’m just going with it. And then when I finally tried it on…I love this top, Helen. It’s so cute. The instructions were great. I’m, I’m going right into, like, a mini-review of this pattern. The instructions were so good and it was just, like, really well-drafted. It came together perfectly. I just think it’s such an adorable little style for a blouse. I think it’s going to incorporate into my wardrobe so well. I really like that there’s a placket behind the ties. ‘Cause a lot of these tie front tops just are open so you can kind of see your bra through. But there’s a placket and so it hides your bra through, which is kind of what I would want. And I’m just so, so happy with, especially, the top. I think it came out really, really nice and I know I’m gonna wear it a ton. So that was the best part. You know that, like, first try-on feeling where you’re like, Ooh, I know I’m gonna wear this.

Helen: I love that because you don’t always get it. Like some, sometimes it takes a little while to fall in love with something you’ve made, especially if you’ve had, like, a frustrating sewing time and you put it on and you’re just like, “I don’t know about this.” But it’s nice when you put it on and you’re just like, “Yes. 100%. I’m so in. I’m gonna wear it tomorrow. I’m so excited.” I love that.

Caroline: Mmhmm. Yeah. So it was a good experience overall. And to wrap up my, my little pattern reviews, I think the only criticism I would have of the Fabric Godmother pattern is that it’s, like, photos in the instructions. And a lot of the time I print my instructions out on a black and white printer and I find that they were a little bit difficult to read. Like, to look at the images on printout and really see the details. And I think the Spaghetti Western Henrietta Skirt was really great. It came together really easily. The instructions were very simple. I liked the style of instructions. Like, the drawings were quite, like, I don’t wanna say, like, rudimentary but, like, they were, they were really simplified, which I think made it really beginner-friendly and easy to understand. And I thought there were a lot of really cute touches in the pattern itself. And even, like, the fitting guide, like, the way that they did the size range is like, if you’re between this measurement and this measurement, you can go with this size. If you’re between this measure… like, it wasn’t like a, uh, it was more of a range and there were less sizes. So the pattern, it wasn’t, like, as stressful to pick a, the perfect size. ‘Cause there is so much volume in the skirt. I think it could work for a range of sizes. So I’m excited ’cause even, you know, if my size changes, it’ll probably still fit me. And yeah, would totally recommend both of these patterns. I think they’re great.

Helen: Yeah, the Henrietta Skirt is so cute. It’s definitely still on my list. And I do love a tie front top. I made a couple of them this summer and there’s something so fun about that tie front detail. Hopefully that trend sticks around next year.

Caroline: I think it will. I think ties are here to stay.

Helen: Was there anything you did while you were sewing that you would do differently or anything you would change if you made these patterns again?

Caroline: Honestly, no. I think I would just, I think they, they worked out perfectly and I wouldn’t change a thing. Yeah.

Helen: Love it. Wonderful.

Caroline: Okay. Tell me about your best moment and your worst moment.

Helen: Okay, well, I did get annoyed while I was fitting this pattern. But as I said, it was definitely worth it in the end. So the low point would’ve been the fitting experience. The high point was sewing it together. Like, laying that beautiful eyelet on top of that lining and seeing the pattern just pop out. So satisfying. And once I got into the sewing of the actual, final version, I was having a great time. I had a few mishaps while I was sewing. Had to unpick a few things, was kind of rushing through, trying to get it done, and definitely, like, messed up a couple of times. But I mean, that’s just sewing, so it was fine. But I just really enjoyed seeing the fabric come to life in this design. And then when I finally got to put it on and it fit so well, that was, like, really exciting and really fun and I was like, oh, I can’t wait to show this to Caroline. It’s so cute. And I really love the little points at the bottom of this corset. I really do wanna make another one in, like, a denim or, I don’t know, like, maybe a nice bright, fun colour. I really like a woven tank. I’ve learned this ’cause I have been wearing my Lockhart Tops a lot. It’s like a hack of our Lockhart Jumpsuit and Dress where you just make the top and it’s basically like a little bandeau princess seam top. And I have like three or four of them and I wear them all the time. I like that, like, cinched bust feeling where it feels like everything is just very, like, secured in this, like, structured top. And this is very much giving the same vibe. So I’m really happy to have another option in my wardrobe. So those are my highs and lows. I do really love the design of this pattern. It’s so unique and fun and cool. And I think if you’re looking for witchy vibes, Stitch Witch has it on lock. Like, I also really like the look of that…

Caroline: It’s in the name!

Helen: I know, it’s true. Their Basque Dress is really cute, too. It has, like, a center point. I don’t think my body was a great fit for their block, but that’s okay. You know, you can’t win them all. And I would consider another one of their designs just because I really love the style of them. I think they’re unique and really fun. So I’m glad I chose this pattern in the end. And now that I’ve fitted it to my body, I can make like 10 of them and they’ll all fit perfectly.

Caroline: Yeah, Yeah, I think that we are both kind of lucky because we can draft our own patterns and they’re based on our bodies. Like, our pattern lines are kind of fitted to us. So we’re used to having things that fit us like a glove. And so when you branch out to other pattern companies, there’s gonna be some wins and there’s gonna be some losses, and that’s totally fine. But I commend you for sticking to it.

Helen: Thank you. Thank you. And if I could go back and give myself a piece of advice for this project, I would just say, like, it’s gonna be worth it, you know? Because, like, when you’re making something new to you, trend-wise, too, like, the whole time I’m sewing this, I’m like, where am I gonna wear this top? Like, this is, like, it’s a pretty, like, unique-looking garment that I’m not sure if I’m gonna wear a ton. I’m kind of questioning myself as I’m going along, but in the end, I love this top and I’m so excited to wear it. So I would say it’s gonna be worth it.

Caroline: Yeah, I was thinking about what advice I would give myself. And for me, it’s mostly just, like, stop overthinking. And I have to tell you briefly about all of the different patterns I thought about making for the top because, like I said, I could not decide. I originally wanted to do something really form-fitting, ’cause I thought the volume of the skirt would have, like, a nice balance if I had, like, a tighter-fitting top. So I was like, I wanna do a knit top, but I want it to be, like, long sleeve and I want it to have some, like, style lines in it, like some seaming or something to, like, accentuate. So I found a pattern, and this is, like, I’m sure people are gonna relate to the struggle. When you have an idea in your head and you find the perfect pattern and then you realize it doesn’t come in your size. It’s, like, one of the most frustrating experiences as a sewist to be like, no, this isn’t for me. And I hate that. You know? And so I had this pattern that I really liked and I was like, I’m just gonna hack a different pattern to make it look like this. And then I was like, no, I should just, like, pick a pattern that…like, stop hacking things and just like pick something out of the envelope, you know, that’s like ready to go. So I thought about doing a knit top. Couldn’t find one that, like, really fit my vision. And then I was like, what if I did a little quilted jacket? Because I was seeing a lot of, like, outerwear in this trend, in, like, the imagery. And I thought that would be really fun and dramatic. But then I was like, oh my gosh, thinking about my last couple of quilted jackets and how long they took to make and how much of a journey they were. And I was like, I don’t know if I have it in me to do a quilted jacket for this episode. It felt like it would be just too much work and I didn’t have enough time to get it done. So I kind of scrapped that idea and then I was like, okay, what about a corset-style top? That’s when I was thinking about the Tulip Top. And I actually knew there was another one. I knew about the Stitch Witch pattern, but I couldn’t think about it. Like, I couldn’t remember what it was. So I never ended up looking at that as an option. But I, honestly, might have if I had remembered it.

Helen: That’s so funny. It would look really good with the Henrietta. I think they go really well together. Yeah.

Caroline: I think it would. Yeah. And then I just, I literally looked at all of the pages of tops on The Fold Line, Helen. I think it took me hours. Like, I looked at every single page.

Helen: How did you not go blind?

Caroline: I don’t know.

Helen: Like, are you even seeing them after a certain point?

Caroline: Like, it was like a multi-day affair of me agonizing. I talked to Shea about it. I was like, I don’t know what to make. I wanna, like, really, like, lean into the trend. But like, I also, I find with this style of episode, I have to almost talk myself out of things sometimes because I really want to try something but then I’m also like, I don’t wanna make something that I’m not gonna wear. I want to make something that’s gonna fit into my wardrobe. So there was that element of like, this sounds like a really cool outfit, but where am I gonna wear this corset top? Or like, where am I gonna wear…

Helen: Hey! Hey, now.

Caroline: For me, personally.

Helen: What are you…what are you talking about?

Caroline: And like, I still wanna make the Tulip Top. I think it’s really cool. But I just, like, couldn’t bring myself to do it for this particular episode. And anyway, so I ended up, when I found the Fleur Blouse, I just thought like, this is kind of the perfect little top. I think it’ll work really well in my wardrobe. And I also like that look of, like, volume on volume. Like, I don’t care if you can’t see my body, you know? Like, just, I, like, I think it, that can elevate an outfit. So that’s why I ended up going with the pattern that I went with. But man, it was a journey and a lot of self-doubt, a lot of overthinking, a lot of questioning my decisions.

Helen: This one was a challenge ’cause, like, you narrow it down based on the trend, but then when you end up with, like, choosing something, like, brown, it’s like, you could literally make anything. Like, it’s not like when we do our, did our vest episode where it’s like, no, you’re making a vest. It’s not that hard to pick. Or a skort or whatever. I also had a really hard time choosing, but it’s so funny that we had similar patterns in mind for this, even though we picked different things.

Caroline: Yes.

Helen: Do you envision yourself wearing your garments to work, like, in your everyday life?

Caroline: I’m definitely gonna wear these garments. I don’t know how much I’m gonna wear them together ’cause I do think it’s quite a look. I might try, like, maybe instead of doing like with the brown flats, like if I put like sneakers on or something, I think that could maybe be cute and make it feel a little bit less like I’m dressing as a character or like in a costume, you know? But for sure the skirt I’m gonna wear. With my Carrie tops, my Carrie Crop Tops, or I think it would work really well with, like, a sweater in the fall. I think that would be really cute. And then that top, I’m gonna wear the heck out of it. I think it’s gonna look so good with jeans. I think it would look so good with all of my Clo Bias-Cut Skirts. I think it would look amazing with just a pair of linen pants. Like, I think I’m gonna wear that top a lot and I already wanna make more. I, I really, really like that pattern. It’s super fun. Yeah. What about you? What is your, like, when are you gonna find an excuse to wear this witchy top?

Helen: Every day. Every day around the house.

Caroline: Every day in the studio. It’s your new uniform.

Helen: No, it’s definitely more of a night out look. But luckily I have a trip coming up at the end of this week, actually, at the time of recording. So I’m really excited to bring it with us. We’re going to Winnipeg and Montreal, here in Canada. So I am excited to bring it to the big city and wear it out to, like, a cool restaurant or bar, date night kind of vibe. Not sure 100% what I’m gonna pair it with yet, but I know it’s gonna look really great and I’m gonna feel really, like, confident and cool in it. So I’m really excited to wear it for more of, like, that kind of special occasion outing.

Caroline: Yeah, totally. I feel like it might look cute with your denim skort. No?

Helen: Yeah, no, I could see that.

Caroline: Yeah.

Helen: With, like, tights and boots maybe, for fall.

Caroline: Yeah, tights and boots.

Helen: Yeah, I could definitely see it with a denim miniskirt. I like that idea. Don’t have one of those, though. I have my skort.

Caroline: Yeah. You have your skort.

Helen: Wearing a skort in the winter feels, like, a little weird to me.

Caroline: I know. ‘Cause it’s not an all-around…like, the skirt panel doesn’t go all around, right? It’s, like, shorts in the back. So shorts in the back with, like, tights might be a little weird.

Helen: I mean, it’s fine. I can’t see back there.

Caroline: Yeah, exactly. None of your business what you look like from the back. Okay. And how comfortable are you in your garment?

Helen: Honestly, it’s really comfortable. I love not wearing a bra. I think that’s part of the reason why I like more structured woven tops, is because I can go braless and then I don’t have anything digging in. I just have the structure of the top. And it’s definitely sexy, but I feel comfortable with the level of sexy that it is. So I’m really happy, overall, with that. And I imagine you’re very comfortable in your garments, Caroline.

Caroline: Oh, super comfortable. Yes, I love them. I think the only thing that might be uncomfortable is, like, if I’m feeling bloated, if I’m on my period or something and I’m, the elastic waist is, like, digging in. But honestly, I don’t even think that’ll be an issue. I think that I’ll be really comfy. One question I had for you about your top is: when I see those points, I think about sitting and how, are they gonna, like, get creased? Like are they gonna crease up when you sit? Have you noticed that?

Helen: No, I haven’t really worn it for, like, a long period of time, you know? I’ve worn it for, like, a couple hours around the studio. It does have really good structure to it because of those three layers of fabric. So I think generally it’ll probably be okay. But if I were to sit at, like, a dinner for a few hours it definitely might be a little bit of a crinkly mess when I stand up. But hopefully by then Sam’s had a few glasses of wine and he won’t notice.

Caroline: He won’t notice. Yeah, I was gonna say, like, it would be kind of funny if they were, like, sticking out, like, horizontally…

Helen: It’s true.

Caroline: After you stand up, but I’m sure…like, it’s cotton, you could just, like, smooth it down. I’m sure it’ll be fine.

Helen: Yeah, I think if you made it in a linen, that could be a real issue, for sure. They would get really crinkly. So I think the cotton is a better choice. Or, like, something more structured. But you don’t wanna go too heavy with this, ’cause I will say that, when I tried to, like, line it, you sew the, like, lining and main fabric together along like the shoulder seams here. Like, you sew the neck and the armscyes together and then you pull the back through to the front through the shoulder opening and it’s quite narrow. It’s only like two inches. And so the weight of the eyelet, ’cause of all those little holes, it ends up being quite heavy or, like, quite bunchy and thick And then, like, the two layers of quilting cotton. I had a hard time getting it through, but I did manage to do it. But if you were using, like, denim or something, yeah, that could be a tricky point, for sure.

Caroline: Mm. Okay. That’s good to know. Good tip. Helen, I wanna know what other trends you considered.

Helen: There’s lots of fun ones. I really loved the Modern Menagerie, which is just animal prints. Obviously a big leopard print fan over here, but I have some zebra print rayon in my stash that I am obsessed with and I don’t know what to make with it. So I thought this would be a fun opportunity to force myself to finally use this fabric. I was thinking maybe like a bias-cut slip dress in, like, the zebra print so it’s on an angle would be really cool. So I still kind of wanna do that. I also was drawn to the maxi coats, but I felt like a coat was too much of an undertaking.

Caroline: Yeah, same. I thought about that one, too, but I was like, I don’t know if I have it in me to make a maxi coat for this episode.

Helen: I know, but it would be nice and I love that trend. I do have a long woo,l boiled wool Pona Jacket that very much is that trend. So I already have that in my closet. And then I also really like brown, and I was considering brown as well. I’m enjoying brown. I don’t wear a ton of it, but I’m incorporating more of it into my wardrobe. And like I said, you guys have a lot of nice browns right now. So I’m here for brown.

Caroline: Yeah. Do you think you’ll make something else in the Bad Romance trend world?

Helen: I mean, I’d like to make a bottom half to this outfit, still, because I have a lot of this black eyelet left. Like I said, I got four meters, so I only used like three-quarters of a meter to make this top. So I’ve got lots left to work with and I could do something else really fun with that. So yeah, I could see myself making more Bad Romance inspired outfits. And I’m imagining you’re going to make more brown, naturally.

Caroline: Oh, 100%. I’m gonna be making more brown. I love brown. I actually thought you might do the velvet one.

Helen: Ooh, velvet’s always fun.

Caroline: Those rich tones in the imagery really remind me of some of the colours that you wear. And I don’t know, I feel like you have velvet in your stash. Like, I feel like it’s just something that you might make anyways. So I thought there was a chance you were gonna do velvet. But yeah, I really liked the squishy bag trend. I thought about that ’cause I thought it’d be a fun way to incorporate, like, sewing an accessory. And I thought that was a really fun option. I did briefly consider doing the fur trend.

Helen: Yes. I was hoping one of us would, but I didn’t want to do it.

Caroline: I know, but then I was like, oh, I’m gonna, I have to source, like, a faux fur. And I don’t know if that’s something that I’m gonna really wear in Vancouver. It’s so wet here.

Helen: Yeah.

Caroline: Like a, like a wet faux fur is not the vibe. And then I also am kind of a fan of the, uh, Frazzled…there’s one called Frazzled but Fabulous.

Helen: Ooh, yes. Yeah.

Caroline: And, yeah, it’s kind, it’s, what did they say? They called it, like, “scatty chic aesthetic.” I don’t know.

Helen: That one’s really up for interpretation. Like, just looking like kind of a hot mess?

Caroline: Yeah, exactly. So I was like, I don’t know how I could pick a pattern that would go with this. ‘Cause I think that’s, a lot of that is about the styling of the outfit. So yeah, there’s some good options, for sure.

Helen: Yeah. There are some fun ones. And then there was some that I was like, no. Like knee-length skirts. I’m happy for people to wear…like, obviously it’s a great length. I just don’t enjoy it on me. I’m, like, a midi-length or mini-length or maxi-length, but the knee? I don’t do knee.

Caroline: It reminds me of the early aughts. Like, I definitely had knee-length skirts in high school, you know?

Helen: Yeah, there’s something about it. And the buccaneer boots, too. Like, I had buccaneer boots back in the day and they’re on this list and, like, I don’t love the pirate boot look. I do like a tall leather boot, but not, like, slouchy style, you know? With, like, a stiletto heel? Mm…

Caroline: And the shoulder trend, you didn’t think about doing, like, a strong shoulder?

Helen: Ooh, like Rumi?

Caroline: An eighties energy shoulder? Yeah.

Helen: No. I always take shoulder pads out of things when I find them at thrift stores and stuff. Like I don’t need extra shoulder. I have naturally broad shoulders. It always feels like too much when I do a broad shoulder, personally, so I wasn’t drawn to that one.

Caroline: Yeah. there’s some good ones in here. Okay. Any final thoughts?

Helen: No, I don’t think so. I’m so excited to share with our listeners. And if y’all wanna sew a trend from this list and share with us, feel free. That would be so fun. And I hope this inspires you to give a new trend for fall/winter a try. It’s always fun to, like, give yourself a little sewing challenge and just think outside the box a little bit. I know I’m enjoying that with these episodes so much. Like, it’s really fun to choose pattern companies I’ve never worked with and think about styles I’ve never tried before. I’m just having a blast.

Caroline: I know. Me too. We have one more of these that we’re recording this season and I gotta hop to it. I gotta get onto the next We Sew.

Helen: I know, I haven’t started yet either. So this is all the motivation I need, though.

Caroline: Yes. Absolutely. Alright, well I hope everyone enjoyed. I think we’ve reached the end, my trend friend. Until next time.

Helen: Until next time. That’s it for today’s episode of Love to Sew. You can find me, Caroline, at Blackbird Fabrics and BF patterns and Helen at Helen’s Closet Patterns and Cedar Quilt Co. And we’re recording today in beautiful British Columbia, Canada. You can support Love to Sew and get access to bonus content by subscribing on Patreon or Apple Podcasts. You even get access to the back catalog of bonus episodes, and that’s over 75 hours of Love to Sew. Go to patreon.com/lovetosew or check out our podcast page on Apple Podcasts for more info.

Caroline: You can head to lovetosewpodcast.com to find our show notes. They’re filled with links and pictures from this episode. And if you’d like to get in touch with us, leave us a message at 1-844-SEW-WHAT? That’s 1-844-739-9428. Or you can send us an email at hello@lovetosewpodcast.com.

Helen: Thanks to our amazing podcast team. Lisa Ruiz is our creative assistant and Jordan Moore of The Pod Cabin is our editor. And thank you for listening. We will talk to you next week. Bye.

Related Episodes